Monday, February 28, 2011

HISTORIC DAY IN LOS ANGELES

Sunday, February 27, 2011 was an awesome day of God's grace for me. As I reached my 75th birthday, the time had come to relinquish my duties as the active Archbishop of Los Angeles and to welcome Archbishop Jose H. Gomez as the new Archbishop of Los Angeles.

The two Masses of Transition were celebrated in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, first in English and then in Spanish. My Coat of Arms was taken down, and that of Archbishop Gomez was installed. Archbishop Gomez was then seated in the Cathedra, the Archbishop's official "Chair" in the Cathedral.

Although the official and canonical change of episcopal leadership takes place at 12:01 AM on Tuesday, March 1st, the liturgical transition occurred on Sunday within the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

Both Masses were filled to overflowing, and God's People here in Los Angeles were active participants in this historical transition. Sunday was not a day of sadness nor tears; rather, it was a day of joyous hope as we experienced God's plan of salvation being lived out in our midst. "Mahony goes; Gomez comes; but Jesus Christ remains the same"!

I am writing this blog entry at Los Angeles International Airport as I await my plane to Frankfurt, then on to Rome. While I am going to room for meetings with the Pontifical Council on Social Communications, it is also in God's Providence that the day of the transition to our new Archbishop I will be in the Eternal City of Rome. On March 3 I will celebrate a special Mass in St. Peter's for all the wonderful people of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

People ask whether I am sad at moving to the new title of "Archbishop Emeritus." Absolutely not. My understanding of the Church is that Jesus Christ remains the heart and center of our Church, and we Bishops come and go down through salvation history. That is why the word "legacy" as applied to Bishops and Archbishops is so far off the mark. We are not called to develop nor to leave "legacies," but rather, to be faithful to Jesus Christ and the Gospels. We accept the Gospel, we try to live it out and to pass it on, and then we move aside so that the Lord might call others to continue the active work in the Vineyard of the Lord.

I look forward to celebrating Masses in our parishes on Sundays, and to working with others across the country to support our immigrant brothers and sisters. There is still so much priestly and pastoral work to do and I embrace that with joy, peace, and enthusiasm.

Post-Sacrament Evangelization

This Power Point presentation on "Post-Sacrament Evangelization" was given by Cardinal Roger Mahony at the 2014 Religious Education Congress. You are free to use it any way that helps evangelize our people following the reception of the Sacraments.

About Cardinal Mahony Blogs L.A.

Cardinal Roger Mahony Blogs L.A. is the official blog of the Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony. Cardinal Mahony is the fourth and recently retired Archbishop of Los Angeles. Born in Hollywood, he is the first native Angeleno to be created Cardinal.

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT: Cardinal Mahony has served on a number of committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, including those on Pro-Life Activities, and Migration & Refugees. He was a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (1984-1989) and the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants (1986-1991); he is presently a member of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (1989-2911), the Congregation for Eastern Churches (2009-2013), and on the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See (2000 to 2013. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Catholic University of America.